Fluid-Delivered Laser Tissue Ablation and Cauterization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing energy-based methods for tissue modification, such as water jet and laser technologies, face challenges in effectively ablating, cutting, or drilling tissues without causing excessive bleeding, tissue damage, or requiring high-power and expensive equipment.
Innovation Solution
The simultaneous delivery of coherent light and fluid energy through a pressurized stream, where the fluid medium carries the coherent light by total internal reflection, allows for controlled tissue ablation and cauterization, reducing bleeding and minimizing tissue damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If water jet cutting is used for tissue modification, then cutting capability is improved, but bleeding control deteriorates because water jet alone does not cauterize tissue
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines water jet cutting with laser energy delivery in a single integrated system. The water jet provides mechanical cutting capability while the laser simultaneously cauterizes tissue to control bleeding, resolving the contradiction between cutting effectiveness and bleeding control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a fluid medium as an intermediary to transmit laser energy to the tissue. The fluid carries the laser beam through total internal reflection, enabling simultaneous delivery of cutting and cauterization functions through a single delivery mechanism.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If laser energy is used for tissue modification, then bleeding control is improved through cauterization, but tissue damage deteriorates due to extensive thermal damage zone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies laser energy in a highly localized manner through a focused fluid-delivered beam. This concentrates the cauterization effect precisely at the cutting site while minimizing thermal diffusion to surrounding tissues, thereby maintaining bleeding control without causing extensive thermal damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional high-power laser systems with a fluid-mediated laser delivery system. This substitution allows for more precise energy delivery and better control of the thermal zone, reducing collateral tissue damage while maintaining cauterization effectiveness.
3Productivity
If high power laser equipment is used for tissue vaporization, then tissue modification speed is improved, but device complexity and cost deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a fluid medium as an intermediary to deliver laser energy efficiently. This fluid-mediated approach allows effective tissue vaporization with lower laser power requirements compared to traditional air-delivered lasers, simplifying the overall system while maintaining high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the medium through which laser energy is delivered from air to a pressurized fluid. This parameter change increases energy transmission efficiency and allows for effective tissue modification at lower laser power levels, reducing device complexity and cost.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables efficient and controlled tissue modification with reduced bleeding, decreased risk of tissue damage, and lower laser power requirements compared to traditional methods, making it suitable for treating conditions like benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatic cancer.
Implementation Method 1
delivering a stream of pressurized liquid medium and focused coherent light through the stream by total internal reflection
Implementation Method 2
both are focused at a point within the stream so that the stream carries the focused coherent light to the tissue for ablation and/or cauterization of the tissue
Implementation Method 3
delivering a stream of pressurized liquid medium and focused coherent light
Implementation Method 4
water jet or stream cutting alone does not cauterize tissue
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for modifying tissue use a pressurized fluid stream carrying coherent light energy. The methods and systems may be used for resecting and debulking soft and hard biological tissues. The coherent light is focused within a stream of fluid to deliver energy to the tissue to be treated.